Insurance must to cover mental illness treatment

Hyderabad: Six per cent of the population suffers from mental illness in India and the lack of insurance coverage makes their treatment a costly affair.

The Indian Psychiatric Society has appealed to the Government of India to work out a module, and bring some treatment procedures under the insurance umbrella.

Dr P.C.B. Gupta, of Hyderabad Psychiatric Society, said, “There is a strong need for reforms in the Mental Health Bill. One mentally ill patient also affects the lives of other people at home. Hence, though the number of mentally ill  patient may be small, the number of those affected is very big.”